“I volunteered to work with him. I had a conversation with his agent and proposed organizing something,” Llera, who still maintains his impeccably dark hair, recalls.
“Munoz was coming into a challenging situation. Fans were keen on keeping Darren Moore as the manager. I believe that if I had taken on the role, I could have bridged the gap between the fans and the manager. I have a deep understanding of the club, the academy, and everyone working there, including Thommo (Neil Thompson) and Steve Haslam.
“As a Pro Licence coach, I understand that he would have had his own staff, but I know the city, and I understand what the fans want and miss. I could have made a substantial contribution, but unfortunately, he was not open to accepting my offer.”
You can understand Llera’s disappointment with the rejection. His fellow countryman was dismissed last week after failing to secure a single victory. Their meager two points from the first ten games represent the club’s worst-ever start to a season. Llera is just beginning his journey towards a career in management, and given his strong connection to the Owls, it seems like his idea should have at least been considered.
For the 44-year-old, it was another tough decision he had to accept. During his playing days, he had hoped to finish his career at Hillsborough, but manager Stuart Gray had different plans. This was during the 2013-14 season, and the team was in a similar predicament to their current situation. They had narrowly escaped relegation on the last day of the previous season, but the team’s performance was stagnating under Dave Jones. At the beginning of the following season, they couldn’t secure a win, waiting until early November and their 13th league match to break their losing streak.
“We knew what the issue was,” Llera reminisces about that dreadful start. “Jones chose young players for key positions. In the Championship, you can’t rely solely on youngsters. It’s a very physical league, and I’m not saying you can’t play a young player at right-back, for example, but they can’t play as center-back or defensive midfielder without the necessary experience or physicality. You’ll struggle, and we did.
“In tough situations, you need experienced players on the field who can resolve issues. I was disappointed that Stuart didn’t let me finish my career with Sheffield Wednesday. He used to call me his ‘insurance policy.’ Even when I wasn’t playing, I supported my teammates. I wanted to retire at the club and transition into coaching, but he made the decision not to let me do that.”
Regarding the current struggles at S6, Llera doesn’t hold back in his criticism.
“Under Xisco, the primary issue was the team’s performance without the ball,” the 44-year-old comments. “It was abysmal. It felt like there were 11 mannequins on the field. There was no determination, no tackling, no pressing, no passion. It’s impossible to win games with that kind of performance.
“If they played like that against a League Two team, they would still lose. Regardless of the opponent, if you give them seven, eight, or nine seconds on the ball, it’s too long. I couldn’t believe that a manager like Xisco allowed this. I know they brought in many players at the last minute, but are they fit enough? I’m not sure.”
At this point, you might wonder whether Wednesday missed an opportunity by not bringing Llera on board, even if only for the initial stages of the Munoz era. We will never know if it would have made a difference, but it’s clear that the rejection hasn’t affected Llera’s affection for the club. He continues to work in Sheffield, coaching young players, and regularly interacts with Wednesday’s supporters. One topic that always comes up is the iconic scrum cap he wore during the latter stages of that promotion campaign.
“Yes, I still have it, and it’s even signed!” he says with a smile when the topic is raised. “It brings back good memories. I used it because I had a cut on my head and used the cap because I was bleeding when I headed the ball. I couldn’t play without it. After I stopped using it, I went on a good run, scoring goals, and we were winning. I felt comfortable with it, and the fans liked it, so I kept wearing it.”
Whoever replaces Munoz, Llera hopes they can reestablish the connection between the team and the fanbase, something he believes has been missing since Gary Megson’s departure.
He adds, “When Gary was in charge, he did a fantastic job, and our fitness levels were excellent. But most importantly, he had a strong bond with the fans. I don’t think any manager since then has truly understood how crucial the fans are to the club. That club is unique.”
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